Father of Miss World Nyamira recounts Mercy Mokeira heartbreaking last moments

Miss World Nyamira County 2016 Mercy Mokeira died aged 23 on Saturday, January 28, at 11:30am at North Kinangop Hospital, where she had been hospitalised since mid January 2017.

Her grieving father Josephat Momanyi narrated to EDAILY – amid pains – Mercy Mokeira’s last moments.

“My daughter Mercy Mokeira’s health problem began when she returned to Nairobi from a function in Tanzania mid December 2016. She called me on phone and said she had symptoms of malaria. She also told me that she had visited medical facilities, but the doctors would see nothing wrong with her health.

“I told her to come to Gilgil so that I could take her to hospital. Christmas was approaching at the time. When she came, I took her to a Mission hospital in Gilgil. They ran tests on her but no successful diagnosis was made.

“They referred us to a Naivasha hospital for advanced laboratory testing. We went to the hospital, the tests were conducted but still there was no detection of an illness.  We returned to the Gilgil hospital. At that time she had lost 5Kgs – down to 40 to from 45. The doctor then referred us to a Kijabe hospital.

“While at Kijabe, they diagnosed her with thyroid disease. They put her on medication. She used to complain of joint weakness and pain. However, she could still do several activities by herself, including walking. She lost another kilogram, dropping to 39. However, she used to eat normally.

“She continued her medication but later her condition worsened. It is from that point that she could no longer walk. I returned Mercy Mokeira to the Mission hospital in Gilgil. This time, her mouth would fill up with saliva. She could no longer eat. She had to be fed through a feeding tube, which was inserted through the nose into the stomach. The doctors advised us to conduct a chest X-ray on her, but still no health problem was detected.

“The Mission hospital then referred me to North Kinangop Hospital. The doctors at North Kinangop conducted nearly all tests on her, but still nothing was detected. They even asked me, desperately: ‘What are we supposed to treat? We can’t see anything wrong with her.’

“They gave Mokeira some antibiotics and took blood samples from her, which were sent to Lancet Group of laboratories in Nairobi for further scrutiny on Tuesday. On Wednesday, they told me to go take the test results. Given the vegetative state of my daughter, I told her sister who lives in Gilgil to look after her as I embarked on a journey to Nairobi.

“On Saturday morning, I was yet to receive the results. Her sister told me Mercy Mokeira had woken up well but she was complaining of excessive body heat. At around 4:00pm Saturday, her sister called me on phone while crying and told me that Mokeira had not been talking and was pronounced dead at 11:30am. I called a doctor at North Kinangop Hospital who confirmed the heartbreaking news.”

The body of Mercy Mokeira was taken to a morgue in Gilgil as family makes funeral arrangements.

Miss World Kenya franchise holder, beauties mourning

The death of Mercy Mokeira has plunged Miss World Kenya fraternity into mourning.

Miss World Kenya franchise holder Terry Mungai has eulogized Mercy Mokeira as a lively and hard-working lady.

“I am saddened by the death of Mercy Mokeira. I pass my condolences to her family and the entire Nyamira County. Mokeira was a very cheerful lady, and she did a good job in the fight against jigger infestation in different parts of the country.”

Miss World Kenya, Evelyne Njambi, said: “Mercy Mokeira was my good friend. Her death has come as a shock to me. Oh my God. May her soul rest in peace, and may God comfort her family.”

Dethroned Miss World Kenya 2016, Roshanara Ebrahim, said: “She was always hard-working, ambitious and dedicated. She was always laughing and hopeful. Her death comes as a shock to me. We will always love and remember her fondly. May her soul rest in peace, and our journey together is never to be forgotten.”

Miss Tourism Lamu County 2016, Jenniffer Wairimu Waruingi, said: “I am shocked by the news of Mercy Mokeira’s death. She was so committed with community work. Miss Heritage (global Kenya), Miss World Nyamira County 2016. Why would death take her away? It is so painful. May she go well and rest with the angels. She remains in my heart, given all the projects we had this year to accomplish. I will work hard because she always proved to me that all is possible with God.”

Mercy Mokeira was to graduate from Kenyatta University in June this year with a Bachelor’s Degree in Law.

In June 2016, she became a national sensation after she and her Siaya counterpart, Sharon Halima, took photos with Lang’ata inmates, who were deemed to be “more beautiful” than the two models.

She was cyber-bullied, but stood her ground with her chin up, oozing confidence in her beauty.

Mercy Mokeira was in May, 2016 crowned the Female Model of the Year at the Pwani Fashion Week Awards.

 

The post Father of Miss World Nyamira recounts Mercy Mokeira heartbreaking last moments appeared first on eDaily Kenya.